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Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi fell victim to a daring burglary while he was playing a match for his current club Marseille.
The Frenchman, who joined Marseille in 2021 for £9 million after a successful loan stint, had his house ransacked. According to The Sun, burglars also made off with his prized £200,000 Rolex watch.
The brazen heist took place while Guendouzi was in action for Marseille during a pre-season friendly, securing a 2-1 victory against Bayer Leverkusen at the Stade Velodrome on Thursday (August 3).
The robbers made their way into Guendouzi's residence by smashing a bedroom window, a move that caught the attention of his wife Mae, who was home at the time.
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The couple resides in the picturesque Mediterranean resort of Cassis, located just along the coast from Marseille, and is also home to several of Guendouzi's fellow clubmates. Unfortunately, this is not the first instance of a footballer falling victim to such a crime in the region.
Guendouzi's former Arsenal teammate Sead Kolasinac also had his house in Cassis burgled earlier in the year before he moved to Italian outfit Atalanta. The problem seems to be on the rise in France, with the criminal intelligence service Sirasco reporting that 22 footballers were targeted by robbers in 2021.
Guendouzi made 82 appearances and scored once for Arsenal before completing loan spells with Hertha BSC and Marseille. The midfielder has notched up an impressive ten goals in 99 games with the French outfit.
When Guendouzi's Arsenal teammate Sead Kolasinac was robbed in France
In 2021, Sead Kolasinac's home was targeted by burglars while he was away, playing against Stade Rennais in the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France. His partner and their young daughter, Soleil, were present in the house during the burglary, according to The Sun.
No physical harm came to Kolasinac's family but the incident understandably left them deeply shaken and traumatized.
